11 killed, 12 wounded in mosque shootout in Thailand

Unidentified gunmen sprayed bullets on worshippers at a mosque in southern Thailand Monday night, killing 11 people and wounding a dozen others, police said today.

The incident took place shortly before 8 pm local time when the people were performing evening prayers inside the mosque in Cho Ai Rong district of Narathiwat Province, police said.

Four or five people were seriously injured.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva today sent Army Chief Anupong Paochinda to Narathiwat Province to meet with local officials and discuss about the attack.

Thai media reported that Abhisit will raise the matter for discussion at a weekly Cabinet meeting today, after a rumour spread among locals that the attack was conducted by the authorities to defame the insurgents.

Narathiwat is one of Thailand's Muslim-majority provinces that have been plagued by insurgency since 2004, leaving thousands dead.